A supermarket chain is the latest to leave self-checkout systems behind amid a backlash against the controversial technology.
Hy-Vee, with about 300 stores primarily in the Midwest and South, has completely replaced self-checkout lanes with staffed lanes in some locations. Others have created express lanes, imposing a 12-item limit at kiosks.
Bosses say they “want to deliver a better customer experience in a number of our stores by bringing back face-to-face interaction with our employees.”
In reality, the retailer – like its rivals – is abandoning self-checkout kiosks because they are especially vulnerable to theft.
“Most of the reduction in self-checkout systems is due to retailers’ concerns about theft,” retail expert Neil Saunders of Global Data told DailyMail.com.
Hy-Vee Was Recently Named the Nation’s Favorite Grocery Store
Theft rates at self-checkouts are reasonably high, both from deliberate actions and accidental errors,” Saunders explained.
‘Forcing more customers to use cash registers solves many of these problems and saves retailers money. “This doesn’t mean self-checkout systems will be completely abandoned, but there will be many more restrictions around their use.”
The employee-owned chain, founded in Iowa in 1930, was recently crowned the nation’s favorite grocery store.
“We want to offer a better customer experience in several of our stores by bringing back the face-to-face interaction with our employees that we had before Covid,” a spokesperson said.
“Retailers like Target and Walmart have already been removing self-checkout systems across the country for several months, so we’re not the first to do so.”
The company has not yet provided a list of all stores affected by the change.
He Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the Hy-Vee in Urbanville did not have self-checkout lanes as of Sunday.
Despite the company’s insistence the change is about customer service, experts have argued it is more likely to reduce theft.
‘They are reconsidering their business strategy. Sometimes self-checkout aisles can lead to further shrinkage of inventory, usually theft or simply misplacement of items,” Iowa State University professor Peter Ralston told KCCI.
The supermarket chain began introducing self-checkout systems at some of its locations in 2019 and then accelerated its rollout in 2020 during the pandemic.
Hy-Vee has been gradually moving away from automated payments since 2023, when it ended its Scan & Go cashierless payment app after just two years.
Self-checkout systems were introduced as a way to reduce queues, increase efficiency in stores and reduce staffing, and have grown in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But the backlash against self-checkout systems is growing, with shoppers and store staff alike turning against them.
Customers feel they are being forced to work for free, while store bosses blame them for the rise in theft.
The top ten supermarkets were named by customers in a recent USA Today survey.
Hy-Vee says it is eliminating its self-checkout systems to improve customer experience in stores
Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, began removing the machines from some of its stores earlier this year.
So far, it has completely removed them from at least six stores this year.
Target has done so in at least one store, even after committing to them in all of its 2,000 stores in March. Target also has a limit (of ten items) to make the lines move faster.
Dollar General has also begun removing self-checkout systems from its stores due to high levels of shoplifting.
Kroger also added traditional checkout lanes at a store in Texas where it previously only offered self-checkout machines.
Meanwhile, Costco began placing additional staff at self-checkout areas to supervise shoppers and ensure all items are scanned correctly.
